It seemed like flu season was a lot worse last year, with a high amount of deaths and a high amount of people contracting it. This year, it doesn't seem as bad. I don't really see an outcry on the news. Why is the flu not as bad as it was last year?
The severity of any flu season is usually related to the type of influenza that circulates, e.g. A vs. B or A/H1N1 vs. A/H3N2. It's hard to predict how each year will pan out, but the specific strains that circulate and how well "covered" they are by the annual flu vaccine usually determines the differences.